The lights on the Christmas tree sparkled like stars in the night sky as J’onn’s favorite holiday song delighted his father. Winn looked sheepish as he waved his phone that played Jingle Bells endlessly.

Oh, well, at least it’s not The Chipmunks, Kara thought.

Though if truth be told, she kinda liked the cute little fellas. Smiling, she touched an ornament: Jacques the mouse from the 1950 animated film Cinderella.

“Where’s Gus, huh? Where did Alex put him?” Kara looked around the tree and found Gus in the back. “Ah, there you are. Want to join Jacques?” She picked the ornament off the tree and draped the hook over a branch next to Jacques. She sat down, pushing a present further under the tree.

“I see you found Gus.”

Kara smiled at her sister’s appearance by the tree. Alex returned the smile.

“You always hide him,” Kara said in a mock accusatory tone.

“Gus is a shy little fella.” Alex touched the ornament’s nose.

“Cinderella is my absolute favorite Disney movie.”

“Oh, I know.” Alex sat down cross-legged by the tree to join Kara. Her ski pants were very fashionable, matching her dark-blue sweater with the snowflake pattern. Kara’s outfit was a little bolder: her Christmas sweater sparkled over bright green Capri pants. “I kinda like that one myself.”

“It’s the gown.”

Alex nodded knowingly. “It’s a beauty.”

“It glows. It’s like starlight as soon as the Fairy Godmother conjures it up.”

“And what about those cool glass slippers?”

“Absolutely the ginchiest.”

“’Ginchiest’?” Alex frowned. “Don’t you mean ‘grinchiest’? Though why glass slippers remind you of the Grinch…”

Kara touched a sparkly round gold ornament, watching it twirl slowly. This was good. After the recent romantic travails of the Danvers sisters, this party and bantering with Alex was just what the doctor ordered.

Kara pointed to a hand-painted ornament: roses on a pale background the color of French vanilla ice cream. “I remember Eliza telling me about this beautiful ornament, how that it was a family heirloom. She gave it to me to hang on the tree my first year celebrating Christmas with you all.” She swallowed. “Your parents welcomed me into their family without reservation.”

“You and I were a little rocky at first, but that’s just a couple of teenagers doing teenage things.”

Kara laughed. “Oh, we were teenagers, all right.”

Alex breathed in the scent of the tree. “It even smells like Christmas.”

“That and Christmas cookies.”

“Which I baked.”

“And you did a great job. Though Eliza is still the champ.”

Alex rested her elbows on her knees, loosely clasping her hands. “Dad’s not bad with some Irish stew or steaks on the grill.”

Kara felt a pain in her heart. Jeremiah was her father, too. Oh, she had memories of her Kryptonian parents, unlike Clark, who emotionally considered Ma and Pa Kent his parents instead of Jor-El and Lara, whom he never knew, but Eliza and Jeremiah were special to her. And she’d gotten a sister out of the deal, too.

Eliza had joined J’onn, M’yrnn, and Winn. All of them laughed as Eliza teased J’onn about his love of Jingle Bells. Eliza was making M’yrnn feel very welcome, and Kara was proud of her.

“Remember when Mom tried to teach us to bake cupcakes?” Alex asked.

“’Tried’ is the operative word.” Kara laughed. “Though you did pretty well.”

“I’m a natural.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “A natural braggart, you mean.”

“Hey, I’m good with frosting.”

Kara quirked an eyebrow and it was Alex’s turn to laugh.

A clear, shiny ornament shaped in early ‘60s style reflected Lena watching them. She was smiling but there was a shadow of sadness in her eyes.

Was she remembering past holidays with her big brother Lex? He had been a very good friend, according to Clark, before his meteor mutant psychosis kicked in and gave birth to supervillain Luthor.

Or was she wishing that she had a sister, too? Someone to share stories with in the dark or eating ice cream right out of the carton on the couch, or helping to accessorize the perfect outfit?

Maybe she was just sad in general. Kara looked at Alex, who had seen Lena’s reflection, too. Kara asked a silent question and Lex nodded so imperceptibly that only Kara would have detected it.